Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

Upon hearing this, the strange man in the green robe stopped smiling and looked calmly at Shen Chu. His emerald green eyes, under the moonlight, were as deep as two ancient wells.

Shen Chu felt uneasy under his gaze.

After a moment of silence, the strange man in the green robe slowly spoke:

"We cultivators defy the heavens and fight against fate. Let alone fellow Daoists, even if countless gods and Buddhas stood in our way, we would kill them if we wanted to, and kill them if we deserved to! If you don't even have this much spirit, what are you doing cultivating the Yuan Gui Dao? You might as well go home and farm."

Shen Chu stood there, stunned. These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in his mind.

How domineering! How imposing!

He slowly recovered from his shock, barely managing to suppress the surging emotions within him. He then looked up at the strange man in the green robe, cupped his hands, and asked:

"Senior, if I may be so bold as to ask, why has your attention been drawn to me? I am but a nobody, what merit do I possess to deserve your attention?"

The strange man in the green robe chuckled.

In the moonlight, those emerald green eyes gleamed with a faint, eerie light.

There's no particular reason, I just find you interesting.

"interesting?"

Shen Chu was slightly taken aback.

"I originally came to Changping County on some business. On the way, I saw a group of Red Lotus sect members scattering and running away, crying and screaming. I found it an eyesore, so I killed them all."

The strange man in the green robe spoke with a hint of warmth in his voice, which, combined with his words, added to the eerie atmosphere.

"After killing them, I saw the two of you running out of that direction. I was planning to take care of you too, but you..."

He tilted his head, looked Shen Chu up and down, and a playful smile appeared on his lips:

"The way you ran away with that guy didn't look like you were running for your lives. It looked more like you were dragging a pig to the slaughter, heading towards a deserted place. I thought to myself, 'This kid's got some interesting stuff,' so I spared your lives and followed you to check it out. And sure enough, he didn't disappoint me."

Hearing this, Shen Chu felt a chill run down her spine.

So this big shot was watching from the sidelines from the very beginning, and he saw everything that happened.

The strange man in the green robe glanced at Shen Chu again, then clicked his tongue twice, shook his head, and said:

"I learned the Crushing Stone Fist and the Crimson Flame Seven Kill Blade, and also practiced the Netherworld Ghost Control Technique. Well, I've put in some hard work, and my foundation is decent. It's just that my physical constitution... is really lacking."

"Wait, something's not right..."

The strange man in the green robe suddenly narrowed his eyes.

"Something seems off about your physical constitution; it's as if a powerful being has helped you grow taller..."

As he spoke, he then denied himself,

"No, no, a great master wouldn't do something so thankless. You're only at the lower-grade level right now, barely out of the ranks of the useless, but still a long way from the true threshold of cultivation. Besides... could there really be such a person in a place like Qingyang? Strange, really strange..."

Hearing the strange man in the green robe muttering to himself, Shen Chu was suddenly startled!

He had clearly been using the [Conceal Breath] skill the entire time, concealing his aura and cultivation to the extreme, yet this strange man in green robes saw through all his secrets at a glance!

They could see his Crushing Stone Fist, Crimson Flame Seven Kill Blade, and Netherworld Ghost Control Technique clearly; they could even see his innate talent level. It was almost as if they could tell he had a system panel!

Who exactly is this person?!

He was horrified, but dared not show it on his face. He could only stand with his hands at his sides, silent.

The strange man in the green robe seemed satisfied with his reaction, chuckled twice, paced back and forth a few steps, then suddenly changed the subject: "Little fellow, it's fate that we met. I need you to do something for me."

Shen Chu was taken aback: "Please speak, senior."

"Go to Changping County and deliver this to the banner chief of 'August 15th' for me."

The strange man in the green robe took out a palm-sized red lotus from his sleeve and casually tossed it to Shen Chu.

The red lotus was entirely crimson, made of neither gold nor jade, and had a warm, smooth feel to the touch. Its petals were layered and lifelike, as if they had just been picked from the branch.

But upon closer inspection, there are faint dark red patterns flowing on the petals, exuding an indescribable eerie aura.

Shen Chu respectfully accepted the red lotus, but her heart was in turmoil.

He went through all sorts of trouble to escape from Changping County, wandering around in circles, and finally thought he had escaped. But this big shot sent him back with just a casual remark!

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but the strange man in the green robe didn't give him a chance to speak. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and a beam of green light shot straight into Shen Chu's body.

Shen Chu felt a stream of energy flowing along his meridians towards his dantian.

"Senior, this..." Shen Chu was immediately shocked.

The strange man in the green robe chuckled again:

"You're quite an interesting little fellow. I see you as a promising candidate for cultivating the Yuan Gui Dao, so I've planted a Yuan Gui Qi within you. This Qi will gradually transform your bones and meridians over forty-nine days, allowing your strength to leap forward in a short period. However, if you don't return to the main sect to find me within a year, or find a way to resolve this Qi yourself, it will turn around and devour your internal organs. At that point, even a Great Luo Golden Immortal won't be able to save you."

Shen Chu's expression instantly became incredibly interesting.

This isn't a benefit; it's a death sentence!

He couldn't help but ask, "Senior, didn't you say I was a promising candidate for cultivation? Why are you treating me like this? Aren't you afraid I'll die, wasting this potential?"

Upon hearing this, the smile on the strange man in the green robe gradually faded, and his emerald green eyes revealed a detached indifference that seemed to have seen through the ways of the world.

"The path of cultivation is inherently fraught with countless hardships and dangers. If you can't even withstand this little test, you deserve to die. A promising talent? There are plenty of promising talents in the world, but only those who survive to the end are truly promising. What kind of promising talent can you call someone who doesn't survive?"

This made so much sense that Shen Chu was speechless for a moment.

The strange man in the green robe stopped talking and tossed the red lotus into Shen Chu's hands, adding:

"The banner leader of 'August 15th' is currently in Changping County. Their stronghold is an abandoned temple in the southwest. You can find him there. Give him this red lotus and tell him that the task the Nine Elders asked him to do can begin."

After saying this, he seemed to remember something, pursed his lips, and his tone was filled with disdain and disgust:

"Speaking of which, the 'Hall of Impermanence' faction is petty. In my opinion, if we're going to do something, we should at least start with the entire Qingyang County and do it on a grand scale. What can we possibly accomplish by just fussing around in a small Changping County? The scope is too narrow, far too small."